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blevins's review against another edition
2.0
I love baseball history and good baseball novels and the premise of this book is something that I have often dreamed about when reading about Negro League players: what if a bunch of Negro Leaguers crashed the color line pre-1947 Jackie Robinson? Well, The End of Baseball attempts to answer that.
1943. Black players will comprise the entire Philadelphia Athletics. Players such as Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Monte Irvin, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard etc etc make up the cast of characters. The problem with the book is that it is just so hokey and simplistic with baseball scenes on the unbelievable, sensational side (not realistic).
If it was better written it would have been more successfull instead of just being a good, interesting idea.
1943. Black players will comprise the entire Philadelphia Athletics. Players such as Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Monte Irvin, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard etc etc make up the cast of characters. The problem with the book is that it is just so hokey and simplistic with baseball scenes on the unbelievable, sensational side (not realistic).
If it was better written it would have been more successfull instead of just being a good, interesting idea.
zzazazz's review against another edition
3.0
Another book I really wanted to be great that is merely good. It really needed to be longer. There are a lot of characters in this book and some of them get a short shrift. One character in particular that comes in late. He is nothing more than a uniform that plays well. I'm not even sure he has a speaking part.
I was disappointed by the portrayal of Satchell Paige. From what I have read when he made it to the major leagues he toned down his Satchell Paige act and concentrated on showing the world he belonged in big league baseball. In this book he behaves like he's barnstorming around the country. I found that to be a false portrayal of the man.
The center of this book and the most rounded character is Bill Veeck. He is the heart of and soul of the book. He's driven, smart, funny and fallible. Veeck and his partner Sam Dailey are the two most realized and living characters in the novel. Scenes that contain the two can sometimes be so good that other scenes, often involving the players, pale in comparison.
Other reviewers have mentioned that some of the baseball scene are unrealistic, and they are. Unrealistic in, I think, a purposeful way. I think the writer was trying to create a mythic season mixed with realistic characters and he doesn't quite get there.
If you enjoy a good baseball novel then you will enjoy this book even if, like me, you find it a little uneven.
I was disappointed by the portrayal of Satchell Paige. From what I have read when he made it to the major leagues he toned down his Satchell Paige act and concentrated on showing the world he belonged in big league baseball. In this book he behaves like he's barnstorming around the country. I found that to be a false portrayal of the man.
The center of this book and the most rounded character is Bill Veeck. He is the heart of and soul of the book. He's driven, smart, funny and fallible. Veeck and his partner Sam Dailey are the two most realized and living characters in the novel. Scenes that contain the two can sometimes be so good that other scenes, often involving the players, pale in comparison.
Other reviewers have mentioned that some of the baseball scene are unrealistic, and they are. Unrealistic in, I think, a purposeful way. I think the writer was trying to create a mythic season mixed with realistic characters and he doesn't quite get there.
If you enjoy a good baseball novel then you will enjoy this book even if, like me, you find it a little uneven.
jfranco77's review against another edition
4.0
I tend to be a pretty generous grader... 5 stars might be a touch optimistic but 4.5 would be fair, so I'm going with 4. The premise of this book was pretty unique (to me, at least) and it was very well researched. Bill Veeck Junior buys the lowly Philadelphia A's in 1944 and assembles a team of the greatest Negro League players he can find, integrating baseball with an entire team (3 years before Jackie Robinson).
On paper, the team is the best in the league, but adapting to the pressures of breaking the color barrier, playing in the major leagues and being under constant scrutiny takes its toll on the team. The team story follows a fairly predictable arc (though with a twist ending) but Schilling does a great job describing the baseball action. The last few chapters really race by as the season winds down, but the faster pace of the book fits the final days of the pennant race wonderfully.
The characters in the book are well developed and realistic. They don't just blend seamlessly into the major leagues without some of their former selves coming through. Roy Campanella, Buck Leonard, Josh Gibson, Piper Davis, Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige and Martin Dihigo are the most prominent, but other legends play a big role as well. The book is a who's who of Negro League talent. If you don't have a lot of knowledge of Negro League history, you might be a bit lost, but even without the background it's a fine book that is easily enjoyed. Having just finished Willie's Boys and already having some background, it was a good fit for me.
Schilling also does a good job describing the historical context (WWII, Communism, struggles with integration in society, war shortages, etc) which makes me wonder if he has a historical background. History buffs will find enough here to keep themselves satisfied.
On paper, the team is the best in the league, but adapting to the pressures of breaking the color barrier, playing in the major leagues and being under constant scrutiny takes its toll on the team. The team story follows a fairly predictable arc (though with a twist ending) but Schilling does a great job describing the baseball action. The last few chapters really race by as the season winds down, but the faster pace of the book fits the final days of the pennant race wonderfully.
The characters in the book are well developed and realistic. They don't just blend seamlessly into the major leagues without some of their former selves coming through. Roy Campanella, Buck Leonard, Josh Gibson, Piper Davis, Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige and Martin Dihigo are the most prominent, but other legends play a big role as well. The book is a who's who of Negro League talent. If you don't have a lot of knowledge of Negro League history, you might be a bit lost, but even without the background it's a fine book that is easily enjoyed. Having just finished Willie's Boys and already having some background, it was a good fit for me.
Schilling also does a good job describing the historical context (WWII, Communism, struggles with integration in society, war shortages, etc) which makes me wonder if he has a historical background. History buffs will find enough here to keep themselves satisfied.
sarahjsnider's review against another edition
3.0
I thought the author did a great job creating (or, capturing, since everyone in the book is based on real people) a lot of believable characters efficiently. The plot outcomes were fairly predictable, which was kind of a disappointment--I like baseball because the outcomes are unpredictable!--but it was still a worthwhile way to spend the time before Opening Day.
One more thing: I can't get over how ugly this cover is. Possibly one of the ugliest books I've read in the last few years.
One more thing: I can't get over how ugly this cover is. Possibly one of the ugliest books I've read in the last few years.
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